Hot: The Remington 870 MCS Tactical Shotgun

Although the 1990s were the break-out years for the various tactical versions of the 870, it wasn’t until we were firmly into the new century, in 2004, that a revolutionary new concept was applied to the 870 system and the Model 870 MCS was developed.

This is the MCS—Modular Combat System—for the Model 870. Three stocks, three barrels, two magazine tubes, accessory mounts, and Remington’s REM LOC quick-change stock system allow officers and military personnel to customize their shotgun to meet ever-changing circumstances in the field.

The Modular Combat Shotgun (MCS) was developed largely due to the ideas brought by an employee new to Remington at the time, and now the current Director of International Military/Law Enforcement Sales, a man named Michael Haugen. Haugen convinced Remington to develop a radically different system, one based on his experience as a Special Forces (Green Beret) soldier of more than 17 years.

There is no other shotgun system quite like Remington’s Model 870 MCS, and its design allows the company to sell the system to countries that have adopted other makes for their daily use tactical shotgun.

The 870 MCS system can be changed from a short, pistol-gripped 10-inch barreled “breaching” shotgun to a longer barreled version with a buttstock designed for other applications, or it can include screw-in chokes or a rail system for attaching laser devices and lighting systems. It is a very flexible, multifunctional system that no other maker produces.

Another system that is utilized by the military and police is called the ARS or Accessory Rail System. In this system, an even shorter version of the 870 breaching gun is attached via a rail to the lower portion of the M-16 rifle or the M-4 carbine.

Better suited to a potential shootout, this version of the 870 MCS features an extended magazine and a longer barrel.

However, this makes for an extremely heavy weapon, and while it is not the most popular way of using the 870 for military and police applications, it does have its place in an arsenal designed to address specific tactical situations.

The Remington Model 870 MCS is light years away from the original 870 R that was used in the 1960s and ’70s. But it is still an 870, the most desirable combat shotgun around.

About Nick Hahn

A retired Foreign Service Officer who lived and worked on five continents and a veteran of the U.S. Army Special Forces, Nick Hahn is a regular contributor to the Double Gun Journal and American Waterfowler. He also contributes articles to Shooting Sportsman, Sporting Classics, Wildfowl, Upland Almanac, and Gun Digest.